Photomechanical reproduction



Aug. 16, 1955 D, cI GRESHAM 2,715,578

PHOTOMECHANICAL REPRODUCTION Filed Jn. l5, 1951 PROCESS/N6 MEGA/VVE. (a) DEVELOP .s/L vif? /MAGE (b) W45# ,4A/0 DRA/N.

9. z MMMM Patented Aug. 16, 1955 2,715,578 PHoroMEcr-rANrCAL REPRoDUCTIoN Donaid Charles Gresham, London, England, assig'nor to l'tcCorqn-odaie Company Limited, London, England, a British company Application January 15, 1951, Serial No. 206,119

Claims priority, application Great Britain February 8, 1950 11 Claims. (Cl. 95-5.1)

This invention relates to photomechanical reproduction and more particularly to improvements in the half-tone block and bi-metal litho processes for colour reproductlOIl.

In the half-tone block process, as normally carried out, a screen negative is made from the original in a process camera and this is used for making the half-tone block. When the process is correctly carried out substantially correct tone-reproduction is obtained due mainly to the fortunate coincidence that the reduction in dot size which occurs during the etching of a half-tone block and the ink-squash which occurs during printing together just about balance the errors inherent in the screen negative.

In the production of screen negatives for colour reproduction, however, a more elaborate procedure is employed and usually this involves colour masking if extensive retouching is to be avoided. Thus the general method involves producing iirst a set ot continuous tone separation negatives then producing appropriate colourcorrection masks, then corrected continuous tone positives, and from these last are made the final screen negatives. It would clearly be advantageous to shorten this procedure by the use of a photographic reversal technique, whereby colour corrected screen positives could be obtained directly (from which screen negatives could be contact-printed) but the usual reversal technique has certain disadvantages. Thus the usual reversal technique consists in exposing a photographic plate behind a halftone screen to light from the original subject, developing the negative latent image thus obtained to silver, bleaching the silver, for example in acid potassium dichromate, subjecting the plate to uniform exposure to white light (thus rendering developable the silver halide which was unaffected by the original exposure) and developing the newly formed latent image to silver. The image thus obtained is complementary to the original negative image, i. e., it is a positive image. Unfortunately it is necessary for the best results that a very full exposure be given in the rst stage in order to achieve clear highlights in the positive and variations in emulsion thickness tend to result in variations in dot size in the developed positive.

According to the present invention a process for the production of screen positives for use in the production of screen negatives for the half-tone block and bi-metal litho processes comprises exposing a photographic plate or lm behind a half-tone screen to light from an original subject, developing the latent image obtained in a devolper giving only a silver image, exposing the plate or iilm to light incident on the same side thereof as the original exposure, re-developing the plate or lm, thereby producing a positive image in silver, producing a coloured image in situ with said positive image and removing silver and Silver salts from the product.

The product thus obtained is a screen positive in which the image is in colour only.

In the preferred form of the invention, with which it will be particularly described, the redevelopment is eff scribed, the said fected by means of an aromatic primary amino developing agent in the presence of a colour former which couples with the oxidation products of such developer, formed during deveolpment to form a dyestui image in situ with the developed positive silver image.

According further to the present invention a half-tone block process comprises producing silver screen negatives by contact-printing from the said coloured screen positives and preparing half-tone blocks from the screen negatives thus obtained.

The foregoing procedure takes much less time than the ordinary process referred to above. It does not, however, effect any colour correction and according to a further feature of the present invention now to be deproeess is modified for the preparation of colour-corrected separation screen negatives for colour reproduction.

Considered in its simplest form the process requires the production of three screen negatives corresponding to the usual primary responses of the original, i. e., red, green and blue. Plates are made from these and printed respectively in superposition in cyan, magenta and yellow. Usually, in order to strengthen the record obtained, a black and white record, the so-called black printer, is included.

Unfortunately printing inks and especially the available cyan and magenta inks, do not accord withthe requirements of these subtractive colours. The cyan inks, which should absorb red absolutely and transmit blue and green freely, usually have an undesirably high absorption of green light, to such an extent in fact that such inks are usually called blue inks in the trade. The magenta inks, which should absorb absolutely in the green and transmit freely in the red and blue usually have an undesirably high absorption of blue light, to such an extent that these inks are usually referred to as red inks in the trade. Accordingly it is always necessary to elect a very considerable amount of retouching on the screen separation negatives in order that a satisfactory colour reproduction should be nally obtained.

By reason of the inks used, the screen negative recording the red response is usually referred to as the Blue Printer negative, that recording the green response is called the Red Printer negative and that recording the blue response is called the Yellow Printer negative.

According to the present invention screen separation positives are made by the technique hereinbefore described and imperfections in the printing inks to be used are balanced by electing a correction of each separation image at the reversal exposure stage by printing a positive image on the hitherto unused areas of the emulsion by a reversal exposure which is varied from point to point over the area of the image in correspondence with variations in the colour response of the original in the waveband or" that other of the separation records which is to be printed in an ink which absorbs undesirably in the waveband which the first separation record records. Subsequently screen negatives are made by contact from the screen positives thus obtained.

Generally, in ordinary practice since, as explained above, the red record is to be printed in cyan ink which absorbs undesirably in the green, it is necessary to effect part of the re-exposure of the green record to the original through a red filter. ln addition, since the green record s to be printed in magenta ink which absorbs undesirably in the blue, it is necessary to effect part of the re-exposure of the blue record to the original through a green iilter. The blue record, on the other hand, is to be printed in yellow ink, which is usually spectrally satisfactory so that it is -usually satisfactory an original lens 12) via a 'seconds at Vaperture v/6 4 was to effect the re-exposure of the red record through a red filter. Y

In carrying out this aspect of the invention the simple procedure is Vto effect the re-exposure of the blue separation screen V,record partially to the Voriginalrsubject viak a green ntri-colour filter, to effect the re-exposure of the green separation record partially to the original subject via a red lter and to! effect the re-exposure of the redY separation record partiallyto the originalrsubject via a red lter. In this 4last case no colour correction is effected. f

. The colour of the dye screen positive isof no importance Aproviding that the screen negative is printed fromit by means of light which it absorbs. Accordingly any of the wide range of Well-known fcolour formers may be employed. ExamplesV may be selected from the list given in Britishv Journal of Photography, volume 85, p. 647 et seq. Y

The nature of the process is further illustrated by the accompanying drawing which is in the natureof a owchart. Referring to this drawing, which is made up of five parts indicated as Figures 1A, lB, 1C, 1D and 1E, 11 is copied in the camera (illustrated by filter 13 on to ,aV plate 14 via a screen 15. The plate 14A is developed to form aY silver image, washed Vand drained. It is then, identified as 14B, replaced in the camera and given a second exposure partly to the original 11 and partly to a white card 17, viaV a colour lter 16 selected Yfor colour correction on the basis indicated above. The plate Y14B is then colour developed yellow,'washed, the silver removed andVV fixed, yielding'the plate, now identified as 14C carrying only arpositive screen colour separation image in yellow dye. ln the next stage this plate identified as 14D is contact printed on to a blue-sensitiveY plate 18 and the plate klil is developed to a silver screen negative and fixed. This yields thenal product, identified as 18E Which is a colour-corrected colour separationscreen negative ofV excellent tone reproduction characteristics.

The following example will serve to'illustrate the inv-y vention. The lens apertures are given as a fraction `of the extension v of the cameral and the distance Vof the screen from Ythe plate is 40 Vtimes of a single screen aperture. photographic plates are used flat photographic' lm is also capable of similar use.V rIhe conditions of first development in the M'. Q'. developer given in the example will yield a gamma value of about 3.0 on an average batch of the material used but on any batch of the ma-VV terial the gamma value will be at least approximatelyV 2.5 as will be appreciated by those Vskilled in theart. The conditions of second development in kthe color developer given in the example will yield a dye image with a Vgamma value of about 3.0 on an average batch of the material but on any batch thev gamma value will be at least approximately 2.5.

EXAMPLE Production of a set of colour-corrected screen Vnegatives A. PRODUCTON OF THE BLUE PRINTER NEGATIVE l. A panchromatic plate having an emulsionof high contrast fwas exposed behind a halftone screen in a process camera via a tri-colour red filter (Wratten 29). The wordWratten isV aV registered trademark. An exposure'of 40 seconds was given at lens apertureVv/SZ and then 'a further Vexposure to uniformdight for 5 veniently effected in practice by placing a white `sheet Vover the original in the camera.

2. The platewas developed for 4%."1ninuteslatV 65 in ain'ormal metol Vhydroquinone developer.

3i The plate was immersed inea stop bath of 2% acetic Y acid Vfor l minute.

v4.Y Thel plate was Washed.

Vwetting agent and drained.

Cil

the length of thev sideY Although in this Yexample 6. The plate was then replaced in the camera and exposed for 380 seconds via a redrilteriwratten 23A) to the original subject. A further exposure to uniform light of l2 seconds was then given.

7. The plate was then developed for F. in a developer madeup as follows:

V(a) N N-diethyl-p-phenylene diamine sulphur` dioxide 9. The platewas bleached by'inspection, in daylight,Y

in. a solution containing. potassium ferricyanide and potassium bromide andre-fixed vin sodium thiosulphate solution.

10. The plate was washed Yand dried. y ll. The plate was then printed by contact in a vacuum printing frame on to a blue-sensitiveV process plate, the exposure being etfectedby means of 25 w. electric lamp located behind a 3-inch square aperture at 41/2 feetrfrom the` frame, for 25 seconds.

l2. The printed plate was then developed for 3 minutes.

at 65 F. in a caustic sodafhydroquinone developer. Y e

13. The plate wasV fixed,rwashed and dried.

B. PRODUCTION OF'THE RED`-PRINTER NGATIVE l. A 'similar panchromatic plate was Yexposed behind a half-tone screenrin a process camera via a tri-colour green lter (Wratten 6l). 4 An exposure of 32 lseconds was given at lens aperture v/ 32 followed by a further 4 seconds exposure to uniform light at aperture v/ 64.

y2 to 13.`These steps were the sameV as for the Blue Printer negative. A

o. PRODUCTION oF THE XELLOW PRINTER Y NEGATIVE Y Y l. This step was similarV to Step l-for the-Redlrinter 'Y negative except that a tri-colour blue filter was usedY Y (Wratten 49). e

2V to 5. These steps were as given for the Blue Printer negative. Y

6. The plate was replaced for 415 `seconds via a green filter (Wratten 56) to the original subject. A further exposure to uniform light of 13 Yseconds was then given. v'

7 to 13. These steps were as given for the Blue Printer negative. i

The negatives copper and etched, faceV downwards, in Va stillV bathof feric chloride. The resulting plates when printed gave aY good recording of the original coloured subie'ct without the necessity for hand retouching. TheV result was ,foundV to be improved by including a black printer negative Y which maybe made byrany of the Vusual methods.

given. This llast is con- Y The foregoing method presents important advantages over the technique hitherto employed. 'Y Thus it requires f very much less time Vthan the usual maskingV system and uses only half the quantity of photographic material.` NoY prism is required in the camera as the contact negative is suitably laterally reversed Ywithout its use.

It will be noted VthatA in the foregoing Vexample gthe Y i photographic material specified has an .emulsion` with Y 61/2 minutes at Y in the camera and exposed thus obtained were printed down on high contrast and When this expression is used in the appended claims it has reference to one of the many commercially available materials made primarily for the production of line or screen records. At the present time these fall into classes which I define as follows: (a) Materials Which, when exposed to White light and developed for 3 minutes at 68 F. in Kodak developer D11, yield a gamma value of at least 3.5; (b) Materials of the Kodalith type which have silver chloride emulsions and when developed in special developers containing formaldehyde or reaction products of formaldehyde yield a gamma value of at least 4.0.

Where l refer to a gamma value of a dye image I refer to a gure derived by developing a step Wedge on the material to be used in the color developer to be used, bleaching the silver image in the bleaching bath to be used, fixing out all the remaining silver halide in a xing bath which does not appreciably aiect the dye image, measuring the densities of the wedge steps through a lter of complementary color to the dye image, plotting these densities against the logarithms of the exposures which produced them and deriving the gradient value from the curve in the usual Way.

l claim:

l. Process for the production of screen positives for use in the production of screen negatives for the halftone block and bi-metal litho processes which comprises exposing a photographic element having an emulsion of high contrast behind a half-tone screen to light from an original subject, developing the screen latent image obtained to a gamma or" at least approximately 2.5 in a developer giving only a silver image, reversal exposing the element to light incident on the same side thereof as the original exposure, re-developing the element in an aromatic primary amino developing agent in the presence of a colour former which couples With the oxidation products of such developer formed during development to form a dye image in situ With the developed positive silver image, said development being such as to yield a dye image With a gamma value of at least approximately 2.5, and removing silver and silver salts from the product.

2. Process for the production of a half-tone block which comprises producing a coloured screen positive by exposing a photographic element having an emulsion of high contrast behind a half-tone screen to light from an original subject, developing the screen latent image obtained to a gamma of at least approximately 2.5 in a developer giving only a silver image, reversal exposing the element to light incident on the same side thereof as the original exposure, redeveloping the element in an aromatic primary amino developing agent in the presence of a colour former which couples with the oxidation products of such developer formed during development to form a dye image in situ with the developed positive silver image said development being such as to yield a dye image with a gamma value of at least approximately 2.5, and removing silver and silver salts from the product, printing the coloured screen positivethus obtained by contact onto a phoetographic element to produce a screen negative in silver and preparing a half-tone block from the screen negative thus obtained.

3. Process for the production of a set of screen positive records recording diierent colour sensations of an original multicoloured subject, for use in the production of screen negatives for the half-tone block and bi-metal litho processes in Which the half-tone blocks and bi-metal litho plates are to be printed in different coloured inks for the reproduction of the original subject, at least one of which inks absorbs undesirably in a waveband which it should freely transmit, which comprises producing the separate screen positive records each by exposing a photographic element having an emulsion of high contrast behind a half-tone screen to light from an original subject, developing the screen latent image obtained to a gamma of at least 2.5 in a developer giving only a silver image, reversal exposing the element to light incident on the same side thereof as the original exposure, redeveloping the element in an aromatic primary amino developing agent in the presence of a colour former which couples with the oxidation products of such developer formed during development to form a dye image in situ with the developed positive silver image said development being such as to yield a dye image with a gamma value of at least approximately 2.5, and removing silver and silver salts from the product, the said reversal exposure, in the case of the separation record which records the colour response of the original in the waveband Which is undesirably absorbed by the printing ink to be used with the printing element derived from one other of the separation records, being varied over the area of the image in correspondence with variations in the colour response of the Original in the waveband of which said other separation record records the response of the original.

4. Process for the production of a set of three screen positive records recording the blue, green and red sensations of an original multicoloured subject for use in the production of screen negatives for the half-tone block and bi-metal litho processes in which the half-tone blocks and bi-metal litho plates are to be printed in yellow, magenta and cyan inks of which the cyan ink has an undesirably high absorption for green light, which comprises producing the separate screen positive records each by exposing a photographic element having an emulsion of high contrast behindv a half-tone screen to light from an original subject, developing the screen latent image obtained to a gamma of at least approximately 2.5 in a developer giving only a silver image, reversal exposing the element to light incident on the same side thereof as the original exposure, re-developing the element in an aromatic primary amino developing agent in the presence of a colour former which couples With the oxidation products of such developer formed during development to form a dye image in situ with the developed positive silver image said development being such as to yield a dye image with a gamma value of at least approximately 2.5, and removing silver and silver salts from the product, the said reversal exposure in the case of the green separation record being etected at least partly to light from the original subject passing through a red lter.

5. Process for the production of a set of three screen positive records recording the blue, green and red sensations oi an original multicoloured subject, for use in the production of screen negatives for the half-tone block and bi-metal litho processes in which the halftone blocks and bi-metal litho plates are to be printed in yellow, magenta and cyan inks of which the magenta ink has an undesirably high absorption for blue light, which comprises producing the separate screen positive records each by exposing a photographic element having an emulsion of high contrast behind a half-tone screen to light from an original subject, developing the screen latent image obtained to a gamma of at least 2.5 in a developer giving only a silver image, reversal exposing the element to light incident on the same side thereof as the original exposure, re-developing the element in an aromatic primary amino developing agent in the presence of a colour former which couples with the oxidation products of such developer formed during development to form a dye image in situ with the developed positive silver image said development being such as to yield a dye image with a gamma value of proximateiy 2.5, and removing silver and silver salts from the product, the said reversal exposure in the case of the blue separation record being effected at least partly to light from the original subject passing through a green filter.

6. Process for the production of a set of three screen positive records recording the blue, green and red sensations of an original multicoloured subject for use in the production of screen negatives for the half-tone block e image obtained to a Y response of light, Vwhich comprises producing the separate screenY positive records, each by exposing a photographic element having an emulsion of' high contrast behind a half-tone screen to light from an original subject, developing the screen latent image Aobtained to a gamma of at least 2.5 in a developer giving only a silver image, reversal exposing the element to light incident on the same side thereof as the original exposure, redeveloping the element inV an aromatic primaryramino developing agent in the presence of a colour formerwhich couples with the oxidation products of such developer formed during development to form a dye image in situ with the developed positive silver' image said development being such as to yield a dye image with a gamma value of atleast approximately 2.5, and removing silver and silver salts from the product, the said reversal exposure in the case of the green separation record being eiected at least partly to light fromY the original subject passing througha red iilter, the said reversal exposure in the Ycase of the blue separation record being eiected at least partially to light from the original subject passing through a green lter and the said reversal exposure in the case of the red separation record being elected at least partially toV light from the originalV subject passing through a red iilter. i

7. Process for the production of a set of half-tone blocks for colour reproduction using dilerently coloured inks of which at least one absorbs undesirably in a Ywaveband which it should freely transmit, Vwhich comprises producing a set of separate screen positive records each by exposing a photographic element having an emulsion of high contrast behind a half-tone screen to light from an original subject, developing the screen latent gamma of at least 2.5 in a developer giving only a silver image, reversal exposing the element to light incident on the same side thereof as the original exposure, redeveloping the element thereby producing a positive image in silver, producing a coloured image in situ with said positive image saidV development being such as to yield Va dye image with a gamma value of atleast approximately 2.5 and removing silver and silver salts from the product, the said reversal exposure in the case of the separation record which records the Ycolour response of the original in the waveband which is undesirably absorbed by the printing ink to be used with the printingY element derived from one other of the separation records being varied over the area ofV the image in correspondence with variations in the colour the original in the waveband of which said other separation record records the response of the original, printing the colour screen positive thus obtained by contact onto photographic elements' to produce corresponding screen negative records in silver and preparing half-tone blocks from the screen negatives Y. thus obtained. i

8.Process for the production of a set of half-tone blocks for colour reproduction using dierently coloured inks of which at least one absorbs undesirably in a waveband which it should freely transmit, which comprises producing a set of separate screen positive records each by exposing a photographic element having an emulsion of high contrast behind a half-tone screen to light from an original subject, developing the screen latent image Vobtained to a gamma of at least approximately 2.5 in Va developer giving only a silver image, reversalexposing theVV element to light incident on the same side thereof as the original exposure redeveloping the element in an aromatic primary amino developing agent in the presence of a colour former which couples with the oxidation products of such developer formed during dethe separationrrecord which velopment to form a dye image in situ with the developed positive silver image said development being such as to yield a dye image with a gamma value of at least approximately 2.5, and removing silver and silver salts Vfrom the product, the saidreversal exposure, in the case of Vrecords the colour responsev of theV original in the waveband which is undesirably absorbed by the, printing ink to be used with the printing element derived from one other of the separation records,

being varied over the area'of the image in correspondence with variations in the colour response of theV original in the waveband of which said other separation Arecord records the response of the original, printing the coloured screen positives thus obtained by contact'onto photo-V graphic elementsV to produce corresponding screeu'nega-` tive records in silver and preparing half-tone blocks from the screen negatives thus obtained.

9. Process for the production ofv a set of-halfrtonerblocks for colour reproduction using yellow, magenta and cyan printing inks of which the cyan ink has an undesirably high `absorption for green light, which comprises producing the separate screen positive records each by exposing a photographic element having an emulsion of high contrast behind a half-tone screen to light from an original subject, developing the screen latentY image obtained to a gamma of at least approximately 2.5 in ardei veloper giving only a silver image, reversal exposing the side thereof as theV element to light incident on the same original exposure, redevelopingthe element in an aromatic primary amino developing agent in the presence of a oxidation products colour former which couples with the of such developer formed during development to `forma dye image in situ with the developed positive silver image said development being such'as to yield a dye image with a gamma value of at least approximately 2.5, and removing silver and silver salts from the product, the said reversal exposure in the case of the green separation record being eiected at least partly to light from the originalV subject passing through a red iilt'er, printing theY coloured screen positives thus obtained by contact onto photographic elements to produce corresponding screen negativeV records in silver and preparing half-tone blocks from the screen negatives Vthus obtained.

10. Process for the production ofa setV of half-tone blocks for colour reproduction using yellow, magenta and cyan printing inks of which the magenta ink has an undesirably high absorption for blue light, which comprises producing the separate screen positive records each by exposing a photographic element having an `emulsion of high contrast behind a half-tone screen to light from an original subject, developingV` the screen latent image ob-v tained to a gamma of at least approximately 2.5 in a developer giving only a silver image, reversal exposing the element to light incident on the same side thereof as the original exposure, redeveloping the element in an aromatic primary amino developing agent inthe presence of a colour former which couples with the oxidation products of such developer formed during development to form a Y dye image in situ with the developed positive silver image said development being such as to yield a dye imagewith a gamma value of Vat least approximately '2.5,V andremoving silver'and silver saltsfrom the product, the said reversal exposure in the case of the blue separation record being elected at least partly to light from the original sub- Y ject passing through aY green lter, printing'the coloured Vscreen positives thus obtained by contact onto photographic elements to produce corresponding screen Ynegative records'in silver and preparing'half-tone blocks from l.

the screen negatives thus obtained.

' ll. Process for the production of a setV of half-tone blocks for colour reproduction using yellow, magenta and cyan printing inks of which the cyan ink has an undesirably high absorption for green light and of which the magenta ink has an undesirable absorption for blue light i which comprises producing'the separate screen positive records each by exposing a photographic element having an emulsion of high contrast behind a half-tone screen to light from an original subject, developing the screen latent image obtained to a gamma of at least approximately 2.5 in a developer giving only a silver image, reversal exposing the element to light incident on the same side thereof as the original exposure, redeveloping the element in an aromatic primary amino developing agent in the presence of a colour former which couples with the oxidation products of such developer formed during development to form a dye image in situ with the developed positive silver image said development being such as to yield a dye image with a gamma value of at least approximately 2.5, and removing silver and silver salts from the product, the said reversal exposure in the case of the green separation record being elected at least partly to light from the original subject passing through a red filter, the said reversal exposure in the case of the blue separation record being effected at least partially to light from the original subject passing through a green filter and the said reversal exposure in the case of the red separation record being effected at least partially to light from the original subject passing through a red filter, printing the colour screen positives thus obtained by contact onto photographic elements to produce corresponding screen negative records in silver and preparing half-tone blocks from the screen negatives thus obtained.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Color Proofs from Positives, Modern Lithography, March 1948, pages 52 and 53. 

1. PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SCREEN POSITIVES FOR USE IN THE PRODUCTION OF SCREEN NEGATIVES FOR THE HALFTONE BLOCK AND BI-METAL LITHO PROCESSES WHICH COMPRISES EXPOSING A PHOTOGRAPHIC ELEMENT HAVING AN EMULSION OF HIGH CONTRAST BEHIND A HALF-TONE SCREEN TO LIGHT FROM AN ORIGINAL SUBJECT, DEVELOPING THE SCREEN LATENT IMAGE OBTAINED TO A GAMMA OF AT LEAST APPROXIMATELY 2.5 IN A DEVELOPER GIVING ONLY A SILVER IMAGE, REVERSAL EXPOSING THE ELEMENT TO LIGHT INCIDENT ON THE SAME SIDE THEREOF AS THE ORIGINAL EXPOSURE, RE-DEVELOPING THE ELEMENT IN AN AROMATIC PRIMARY AMINO DEVELOPING AGENT IN THE PRESENCE OF A COLOUR FORMER WHICH COUPLES WITH THE OXIDATION PRODUCTS OF SUCH DEVELOPER FORMED DURING DEVELOPMENT TO FROM A DYE IMAGE IN SITU WITH THE DEVELOPED POSITIVE SILVER IMAGE, SAID DEVELOPMENT BEING SUCH AS TO YIELD A DYE IMAGE, WITH A GAMMA VALUE OF AT LEAST APPROXIMATELY 2,5, AND REMOVING SILVER AND SILVER SALTS FROM THE PRODUCT. 